5 minutes readWhen devastating wildfires broke out in Southern California in January 2025, Emmy Award-winning television host and interior designer Mikel Welch had only been living in Los Angeles for a few months. After 15 years on the East Coast, he had moved to the Golden State and bought a small, early 20th-century Tudor cottage that he envisioned as his own “little English oasis in the country.” When the flames erupted about three blocks away, Welch fled with a few suitcases and his dog Bailey in tow.
When he finally returned, Welch found his house covered in layers of soot and the windows blown out – essentially spared compared to many of his neighbors. “I’ve never seen a community come together through devastation the way they did,” Welch remembers. “Even now, I'm standing in line at the grocery store and I'm talking to someone and they're like, 'Yeah, I lost my whole house, but I still have my dog.' It really puts things into perspective. Honestly, that’s where my hope comes from.”
Strengthened by a deeper connection to his new city, he set about the renovation work again. “At the end of February, I said to myself, 'Okay, now is the time. We're going to clean up this mess,'” says Welch, who is also On's interior designer The Drew Barrymore Show.
As if the challenges of renovating an old home and dealing with fire damage weren't enough, Welch admits he's his own toughest customer. (“I went back to Benjamin Moore at least five times to get the perfect shade of white,” he laughs.) But following simple rules helped him overcome the obstacles of renovation, as well as the difficulties of designing on his own. “I think as a designer I'm exposed to too much. So I asked myself, 'Will I love this in a year? Will I love this in three years?'” he says. “For me, that was the hardest part: making final decisions that I could live with long-term.”
At first, Welch followed the instructions he gave each customer. “I tell my clients to be inspired by their favorite places, the ones they want to return to again and again.” For Welch, these are the Soho Farmhouse and The Double Red Duke hotels in the English Cotswolds. He is particularly drawn to the luxurious outdoor lounge areas. “The only thing my home needed was an outdoor bathtub. I didn't care about anything else,” he jokes. “I wanted to recreate the same holiday feeling.” A freestanding Kohler tub nestled in an outdoor garden shed (built from TimberTech siding) brought this soothing experience to Welch's own backyard.
In the living room, a $20 drop cloth transforms a wingback chair (a Facebook Marketplace find) into a dramatic focal point. “I'm a very theatrical person and have a background as a set designer, so I wanted to play off that,” says the designer.
Inside, a different decree took over: “Every newer piece had to be balanced by an antique piece and vice versa,” he says. In the living room, for example, where guests are first introduced to the designer's self-described “primitive modern” style, antiques found on trips to Italy – like an 18th century home – are displayedTh19th-century iron statue and a high-back Spanish chair—mix with contemporary counterparts like the elegant stone Arhaus coffee table.
And in the private spaces a third directive unfolded. “If I painted the main living spaces white, I wanted to use color in the rooms behind closed doors,” says Welch. “I wanted to push myself outside the box because I’m usually known for neutral tones.” He wrapped the guest bathroom in a chalky slate blue (Apollo Blue by Benjamin Moore), while the maroon guest bedroom (painted red by Benjamin Moore) pays homage to his alma mater, Morehouse College. The master bedroom—painted Gunsmith Gray by Benjamin Moore—is an exception, he notes, but the cozy tartan curtains and mulberry-colored carpet accomplish his goal instead.
By carefully following the rules that guide his creative process for clients—turning to favorite destinations for design inspiration, combining old with new, balancing neutrals with bold colors—Welch restored the dilapidated Tudor house into a home that is unmistakably his own. Although his active backyard is like a slice of English country paradise, Welch's next chapter is rooted in the resilience of LA.
Living room + dining room
Left: The antique cabinet has traveled with Welch from New York to Miami and now LA. He recently opened his own antiques and home furnishings store, Mikel Welch Home, in New York.
Right: Inspired by the dining room at the Double Red Duke Hotel in the Cotswolds, Welch wrapped his dining room in a similar monochromatic landscape mural from Etsy. A small chandelier crowns the coffered ceiling. Modern Arhaus dining chairs balance the vintage X-frame farmhouse table (a Craigslist find).
Kitchen
The bones of the house didn't allow for pocket doors, so Welch took another inspiration from English design and instead opted for a floral curtain to conceal the pantry. A mix of custom cabinetry from Fabuwood and open shelving (which the designer made himself using materials from The Home Depot and Etsy) provide clever storage solutions in the small galley kitchen. An avid entertainer and chef, Welch outfitted the kitchen with commercial-grade Hestan appliances, heavy-duty Dekton countertops (Cosentino), and a well-stocked bar.
Main bathroom + guest bedroom
Left: By eliminating a closet and raising the floor under the shower, Welch was able to create space for a full bathroom upstairs where there was previously just a sink. The shower walls feature warm taupe tiles from Fireclay Tile.
Right: In the guest room, Welch turned a queen bed sideways and placed it against a king-sized headboard to create a comfortable daybed. Cushion and rug, Lone Fox for Joon Loloi.
backyard
Left: Sculptural wrought iron lounge chairs (Azzurro Living) bring Welch's deft balance of “primitive, modern” style outdoors. “They have more traditional lines, but the oversized pillows give them a modern feel,” he says. Another Hestan range anchors the backyard kitchen. “This is where I spend most of my time. I grill at least once a week,” he says.
Right: Welch with dog Bailey in her “little English country oasis”.
For parties, Welch fills the outdoor bathtub with water and rose petals or citrus fruits, turning it into a veritable water feature.
For more on Welch's design wisdom, check out his debut book. The eternal home, Available now.
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